The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick up Trash - Volume 1 - Chapter 52

Chapter 52:

The Merchant Guild

AS WE HEADED for the merchant guild, Captain Oght taught me a few things. The merchant guild was built to protect merchants from thieves and scammers, so it was pretty different from the adventurers’ guild. Over time, it had gained so much power that you couldn’t do business as a merchant in the capital, towns, or large villages unless you registered with them first. They were even beginning to spread to smaller villages. There were still so many things I didn’t know, so I listened carefully.

The building next to the adventurers’ guild, which looked very similar, was the merchant guild. I’d just assumed they were both adventurers’ guild buildings, but nope—sure enough, their signs were different. I just hadn’t bothered to look closely before, since I hadn’t ever planned to visit.

I followed Captain Oght into the bustling merchant guild. I looked around and saw somebody spreading cloth atop a counter and showing it to somebody else.

“They’re probably describing their wares,” he explained. “When you register with the guild, you have to show them what you’re selling.”

“I see…”

There were doors at the corner of the foyer, probably leading to a bunch of smaller rooms. It seems so complicated…

“This way, Ivy,” said Captain Oght. I was so occupied by my surroundings that I’d strayed away from him. I rushed over. “Lugrette,” he said when I was standing beside him, “we’d like to open a bank account.”

“Captain Oght, thank you for your service. An account for yourself?”

“Ah, it’s not for me. It’s for this kid here.” He introduced me to the woman at the counter.

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “Thank you for your help.”

Lugrette smiled. “Aww, aren’t you a cutie pie?” She was pretty, and she seemed levelheaded and kind. Lugrette slid a sheet of paper across the counter. “First, I’ll need to explain how our accounts work.”

“Yes, please.”

“When you make an account with us, we’ll give you a plate. There’s no fee for creating the account, but it will cost you 500 dal to issue a replacement plate, so take care not to lose it, okay? Also, we will withdraw 100 dal per year as a management fee. Any questions so far?”

A hundred dal per year? I was a little hesitant, but I had four gold coins now. I was too anxious about carrying that much money around, so I needed the account.

“Do I pay 100 dal for the first year?” I asked.

“Whoops, I skipped that part. Sorry!” said Lugrette. “Umm, your first year is exempt from the fee. The first payment is next year. Would you like to create the account?”

“Yes, please.”

“Then could I get you to fill in the required fields on this document? If you can’t write, then I could take it down for you.”

“I can do it, thank you.”

She gave me the paper, and I looked around and saw desks with chairs nearby. I sat at one and read the application. It had columns for birthplace, name, and age, with nothing else. Phew. So I really can make an account.

“Just don’t write a birthplace,” Captain Oght said.

“Are you sure?”

“It’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” After writing down my name and age, I took it to Lugrette at the counter. She looked at the paper and gave Captain Oght a puzzled look.

“Problems with the village chief,” he said shortly. “The kid ran away, so the column’s empty.”

“Understood. I’ll process it as such.”

He got her to skip it. Would that cause any problems? Worried, I looked at Captain Oght. When he noticed my gaze, he patted me on the head.

“When lords and chiefs cause problems, villagers are the ones who suffer. Around the time the merchant guild was formed, a law was passed to protect refugee villagers. It allows accounts to be made with name and age alone. It wasn’t unheard of for people to make accounts at the adventurers’ guild, only for their former lord to track them down and claim their money. This is meant to protect you from that, though it does require a guarantor present when you make the account.”

“A guarantor?”

“Yep. Someone who knows the state of the village you came from, or someone like me who’s able to figure it out with ease.”

Wow. Captain Oght really is helping me out a lot. Still, is Ratomi Village really suffering that much? I wasn’t close to anyone there, so it’s difficult to care, but…still.

“All right, that takes care of the set up,” Lugrette declared. “Are you willing to provide us with a drop of your blood?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

There was a round, transparent object on top of a white plate. What am I supposed to do with this?

“Please place your finger in the hollow,” she said. “There is a small needle there, so it will sting a little. Please bear with it for a moment so we can record your blood.”

I looked closer at the transparent part and saw the hollow. After gently placing my finger there, I pressed down. It didn’t hurt much. Immediately after, the white plate glowed, and my name and age appeared on it.

“Thank you very much,” she said. “Here is your plate. Would you like me to explain how to make deposits?”

“I’ll take care of that,” Captain Oght replied. “Don’t worry.”

“Are you sure? Well, thank you for your help, Captain. And thank you for choosing us, Ivy.”

As I marveled at the text appearing on the plate, they finished their conversation. I accepted my new plate and bowed.